| YOUTH INVOLVEMENT IN CRIME
o No stereotyping. o Respect for the human rights of victims and perpetrators alike. o A reasonable range of voices on the subject matter including the police, churches, NGOs, trained professionals, communities and the wider public. Barbados did the best job of carrying stories about youth crime other than incidents. This seems to be due to more existing social programmes and more dynamic actors in that space that ensure publicity for their causes. The stories concerning illegal drugs and drug abuse in Barbados overwhelmingly concentrate on intervention, assistance and the social ramifications of this type of youth crime. This is the exact opposite of what happens with all other stories in all 3 countries. While there are severe limitations in all countries, in particular Grenada and St. Vincent & the Grenadines, there is still room for improvement of reporting. Some of this can be done internally at media houses at a relatively low cost but that will not result in significant change. It will, however, be a step in the right direction. The greatest possibility of change is going to come from 2 sources: 1) Externally funded training programmes as the media houses simply cannot afford the training on their own. To be effective, training must be reasonably ongoing to keep up with new trends, technology, and staff turnover. 2) The media needs to engage with the Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) to drive lobbying concerning: • timely provision of news updates, releases, and statistics by the police forces as a short-term measure • the implementation of Access to Information / Freedom of Information legislation • Economic viability of industry. If the industry is not viable it will limp along and be substandard at best or not survive at worst. A more viable media industry means more viable media houses, more journalists, more follow up and in depth, nuanced reporting and a better served society • protection for the overriding influence of big tech media like Google and Metta which threaten the extinction of media in vulnerable small island states. This is not hyperbole as this threat has been recognized and acted upon in countries like the USA and Australia. The importance of lobbying via the ACM is critical as local media houses and associations will be weary or unwilling to do so alone for fear of repercussions in their home market. The ACM representing the Caribbean media industry is not similarly vulnerable and therefore is the best avenue for lobbying. The media in Barbados, Grenada and St. Vincent & the Grenadines can do better, but they cannot do it on their own.
50 A Media Analysis of the Coverage of Youth Involvement in Crime and Violence and Trafficking in Persons (June 2021 to June 2023) in the Eastern Caribbean
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